Clavicle splint



J. J. ETTINGER CLAVICLE SFLINT July 4, 1933.

Filed Aug. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l JOE- J. ETTnveEw.

J. J. ETTINGER July 4, 1933.

CLAVICLE SPLINT Filed Aug. 12 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II'UIIIIIIIIIIII JOEETTl/VGER. ,W/ M

' a t ins-l Jul 4,; less f which application for patentwas filed byline.on September} 19,1931, Ser. No, 5635846, and

which has since eventuate'dasPatent o "1,880,946, dated October 4,1932;v a

plates or shields in -s u'ch va device. 5

" ofpoi'nts.selectively. I

H "Eigure l'afront A plete'. I

' shown inFigure' 2Q thelineHdisgu t? I .7 Figure 5 is an enlargedsection of a shield .1 or"shou1der p1ate onthe line ,5'-5 of Figchest'in such a device.

' \Nith'the aboVe'andother objects-in View" as'will be hereinafterapparent, the invention-, consists in general of .cert'ain'novel detailsof "acters of reference indicate likefp'arts the I Application. filed Agust :12,

This invention relates to" surgica1 app1if ances and has specialreference to aclav cle, splint such as is used inthetreatmentof fractures ofthe human clavicle."

More particularly the invention 'relates"to improvements inthef'clavicle splint for One important object of the invention'is to;provide, improved means for connecting the" shoulder plates across thefront of the A second important objectof the invention is to providefan-improved form of shoulder,-

A third important object of' the invention is to provide a novelconstruction of such a splint wherein provision 'ismade whereby certainofthe securing straps" may .be con? necte'd'to the shields at: any oneof'a series A fourthiimportant object of the in ention" is toprovidenovel' means for connect ng the'f strap end and shieldsorshoulder plates.

construction and combinations of'parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the ac In the accompanying drawi g l c f severalyiewsandzI 1 I vvlew of thesphnt'come Fi res Is anehle ged dettfi js ce i 'Figure3 isfa front ele'yatlon'the i etail -s ecti on on Figure 4; is enlargedFigure 6 is a simmer aw a1 e elih' esse of Figure 1. v I r Figure 7- isan enlarged elevation of one of; .s

mnaf A CORPORATION Jess serirn my 638,610; 1

the jshieldsi the lview being em tte ms inner e g h r i'the' es i h p esibs v ingomitted, 1.'-

=Fi'gure s is a detaili'viewi Showiii'g j fstia l securing member usedherewith. f

. "In the, construction "herein d'sclosed there i is ;providedaal;-pair90f shoulder platesiigor;

shields? "10: ."Thes eshields, when viewed;

ing rounded off." v Thus each shield has; a con Fig 2, send 6,- V andat. the sametime there is"afgeneralsp'iral twisting of the plate fromWhichth'e ishie1difs formed so that the inner 75' I I edge," whichIies-at itsIoWer end more' fo-rwardl ythan the outer edgeQis extendedback over the shoulder "towlie at its upper {end hbove and-gito therearPof vthe outeredge.v

This vbringsthejupper 'cusp 'portio'n', which 8d I I from in front,present a'; r1ough1y lunate ap? a 7 pearance,; t h'eends or cuspsof thelune be-'* is uconcavewinl-all' directions OHIOP-Ofliihg the shields areprovided with the, usual pads or cushions 15 offe1tor other suitable ma1 teriaL g i 1'. vSonievizhat' belowf-andiinwardiy from the vmiddle ofeach; shieldis a'piVotstud16 where;- on is mountedahinge plate17having'2thing barrel 18'atits-inner end-and provided with i an'arc11'a te',s1ot l9'concentricto the" stud 16 conipanying drawings and"specifically: front portion or the shoulder jointso that; I ff claimed.When secured by'the straps and tie"'bars5 as will 'y' b described, theashofilder no a 1 above noted, I The posterior surfaces 0f" V and-adjacent itsfouter' end; ul olt 20 -10 is carried by the shield 10 andextends through the slot 19, being provided on its forward end with abutterfly nut 21. By this means the shield is permitted to swingslightly on the pivot 16 and, when adjusted to desired position, isthere held by tightening the nut 21. A pintle 22 is held in each barrel18 and carries the arms of the forked end 23 of a chest bar or tie bar24: arcuate in plan to conform to and lie in closely spaced relationfrom the chest of the patient. The two chest bars are arranged one infront of the other and each is provided with a longitudinal slot 25. Aclamp bolt 26 is carried by the free end of each bar and extends throughthe slot of the other bar, being provided on its threaded end with abutterfly nut 2?. *With the nuts 27 loose, the bars may be slid, oneon'the other, to adjust the distance between the shields and whenadjusted the nuts may be tightened to hold the parts in desiredposition, The hinges serve to permit the shields to conform to theflatnose or rotundity of the patients chest.

In order to hold the lower ends of the shields pressed firmly againstthe chest there is provided back strap consisting of two sections 28which are adj ustably connected at their inner ends by a buckle 29 ofany preferred type. The free end of each of the sections 28 carries aloop 30 from which projects a tongue 31 having a terminal portion 32oll'set rearwardly of the portion adjacent the loop. In the lower partof each shield is a series of laterally spaced rows of verticallyspacedholes 33 adapted to receive the respective tongue which isinserted through the selected hole 33 from the front so that the offsetportion 32 lies against'the posterior surface of the shield as wellshown in Fig. 4. By this means the back strap may be'connected to theshields at such points as will prevent the strap sections from cuttinginto the, aXillae while ensuing that the connection is high enough toprevent the shields from moving upwardly out of proper positions.Moreover, the spacing of the rows permits of additional adjustment ofthe strap for length and of putting a pulling stress on the shields atsuch points in their widths as to obtain the best effect in theparticular case under treatment.

Diagonal cross or shoulder straps 34 each have one end suitably fixed,as by sewing, to a respective strap section 28 near one of the shieldsand extend diagonally across the patients back to the upper part of theremaining shield where it is secured by a buckle 35 fixed to the upperrear end of that shield. These strapsserve to pull the upper parts ofthe shields rearwardly and to hold them down on the points of theshoulders.

By reason of the novel arrangement of the arcuatetie bars outer clothingmay be worn Also the peculiar shape of the splint with its spiral twistand cupped upper part, together with the novel strap arrangement,enables rearward abduction to be exerted on the shoulder joint in suchmanner as to hold the segments of a fractured clavicle properly alignedwith slight discrnnfort to the patient and no unnecessary immobilizationof the upper arm.

There has thus been provided. a simple and el'licient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the in vent-i on without departing from the materialspirithereof. lit isnct, therefore, desired to conline the invention tothe exact form herein shown and described,but it is desired to includeall such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is i l. ina clavicle splint, a pair of rigid plates shaped to conform to the frontand shoulder joint part of the shoulder region of a human body, a backstrap, coacting means on the ends of said strap and the lower parts ofsaid plates for connecting said ends to a selected point of amultiplicity of connection points on said lower parts, buckles eachfixed to the upper end of a respective plate, a pair of shoulder strapsarranged in. crossed relation and each having one end secured to theback strap adjacent a respective plate and having its other end securgdtothe buckle of the other pl ate, hinge plates each pivotally mounted onthe front face of one of said ri 'id plates means to secure the hingedplates in adjust-ed pivotal positions on said rigid plat and rigid conne.ng i'l'leans hr-iving its ends hinged respectively to the hinge plates.

2. in a clavicle splint, a pair of rigid plates shaped to conform to thefront and shoulder oint part of the shoulder-region of a human body, aback strap, coacting means on the ends of said strap and the lower partsof said plates for connecting said ends to a selected point of amultiplicity of connection points on said lower parts, buckles eachtixedto the'upper end of a respective plate, a pair of shoulder strapsarranged in crossedv relation and each having one end secured to theback strap adjacent a respective plate and having its other end securedto the buckle of the other plate, hinge plates each pivotally mounted onthe front face of'one of said rigid plates to swing about an axis normalto the plate, means to secure the hinged plates in adjusted pivotalpositions on said rigid plates, rigid. connectingmeans having its endshinged respectively to the hinge plates, the axes of the hingeconnections being substantially-at right angles to the pivotal axes ofthe respective hinge plate, said rigid connecting means including a pairof v: tionpo ints for the plates consistingjef heri 1, lzonta llyspaeedpews ofzvertically spaced c011 snecition elements, buckles5,ea ehfixedtoth'e' bars slidablyoverlappin'g'eebh qtheiattheir ends and each"havingitgfofltef-endhinged to a respective hinge plate sja'id; bstrs11-being i[flatly arched to eonfprln to andlie in cl'oselyff lei spaced relationto a human chest and clamp bolts'securing saidhars in'slidably adjustedv e H H a '-ieoactin l leens' htlie ends'QfPSQid p nd r a plurality ff-connectibn pc'iint s. on the ldwf Ina elayile'splintge pair ofrigidplates shepedto conform to the frontand sh nlder. jjoi'nt'partofthelshotxlder regienofathe' hlt- L I I points,'. a ipair of-sho'ulder]straps Connecting" 7 man. body, a backstrap, eoacting meansjon the endsof saidgstfzipfiand the ilowerparts j of said plates' ffofr "connectingsaid ends; to a selected point ofja nultiplieity f 'con'nection' points011 said'lew'e'i' parts' the cOnnejc-.

upper-' end *of -a respectivefp1ate, .alipair of and each haVingbne-endsecured to the back strap adjacent a respective-plate and hajv ing itsother end} secured to thebu'ckle of the 0thto swing aboutganexisnormalito, the plate, -Ineans to secure the "hinged plates .inedijnstedpivotalzpositions on said." rigidiplates;

and'ri'gid connecting-imeans,having its ends; ,"0 hinged respectively QtO tliG, hingenpl atesl, the

axesfof the-hinge eonnectiensbeing' substan-j tia'l-ly. at rightanglestothepivotal axes ofy theresp'ectiv'e hinge plates, said rigideon necti'ngmeans being'jfztcljustable ion-length.

and; being provided with; means fer holding it in" length adjusted'fpositionif concave outer edge,,aconvexlinner edgejan'd 'ld 'v'veijpaft thereof .,s the ra er part of 3 the lateima'y lie on" top I swingbn l axesjpitelle ytolp rm s id t a shoulder straps a r nged. in crossedrelation er plate,hi nge platesjeageh;pivotally mounted; Stient, 'hingep1 a;tes;feaeh mounted .pitotallyj If... 'on the-front faee'e'fpne ofsaid rigid plates on, said hingeplates at its'ends M .an I axisfnei m'altb the plate; means ,tofholifi 5 Jseid hingeplates; in piivbtially,'stdjlistedl po i; 1 V, -tion rigid-"extensible connectingQmeanSpiW 94-. In a; clavicle splint; a pair of 'rigidplttes. jeachlbluntly lunatei'nqfdrm and havinga inecting means-1being1 flatlyerehedthrough-Trounded ends, the p osterier sn rf'faces' of;'sia,idnecting means inadjusted-extension. if plates being generally cengv-exmd the' pep-*T'part ofe'sieh plate being-spirally twisted'with -'the lower pert'Lof/{the plete being pjositiqnd to vpress egainst' the lateral chestportion of tive plate to swing ebo'utan axis ndlfnlalgtd' aid plates",means tqyheld setid ,hilige plateg I t"beadjustedifp length; 1and'mea'nslxt hold the ban inl'e'n'g'th'adjusted i position; Y e iQ{Inla claviclesplingflpair of shoulder pIatesfOr' engaging thesh'ouldefs6f mpg- 7 1 l on arespeeti iieshdulderplateite swin 'stbo t P0 7 an axisnormal -tq,theplate; means; to hold said'hinge plates in;jp'ivotally'iadjnstedposii ;-andrigid" cenneeting means pivoted to;

" 6; 3 Infa clavijelefsplint, 5 a pair 0 shellilid'ef plates; forengaging "the sheuldersiefji pa;-

. tien't, hingev plates each mqunted pivotally on arespeetive shoulderplate t'o'zswing boflt oted to said hingeplateset its {anaemia conbut"its length, end m'eans-td held. the;v ,eQn-

